Beginning in the Boise Basin and extending far up into the Salmon River Mountains, the ghost towns of Central Idaho are set against some of the most stunning scenery the west has to offer.
They were mostly silver or placer gold mining towns that came and went with an era that is difficult to imagine. They drew the pioneers, businessmen, dreamers and entrepreneurs from the far corners of the earth.
There are an untold number of ghost towns in this part of the state. Unfortunately, to get to all of them would require a considerable chunk of time that would far exceed my few days in the area. Therefore, I will concentrate this post on the six places I did get to. A couple of these retain a small population, while others are complete ghosts. From the touristy to the desolate to the bizarre, it was a few days of pure fun.
The Basin
Although the California gold rush began in 1849, the rush to Idaho would not occur for another eleven years. It started in the northern reaches of the state and parties from Washington fanned out across that territory for the new riches. But it was August of 1862 that a prospecting party from Oregon first discovered gold in the Boise Basin.
Within weeks towns like Placerville, Centerville and Bannock sprang up. Bannock soon changed its name to Idaho City and swelled to a population of over seven thousand, making it the largest city in the northwest and the hub of Idaho activity. This was my first stop, and it was in this charming village that I would sleep and base my further explorations from.
Idaho City is far from a ghost town, but its current population of just over 450 souls leaves only a sliver of its once monumental size. The main street is home to a variety of saloons, gift shops and eateries. Many structures are survivors from the 1860’s. The latter half of that decade saw three devastating fires practically destroy the town, followed by another in 1871. The fires, coupled with the fact that gold was becoming less accessible, led to a dramatic decline in residents; down to 900. After the turn of the century the population dwindled, at times, to just a hundred people.
Today, tourism and outdoor recreation have guaranteed the town’s survival. Hunting, camping and fishing are abundant and businesses in town support and deal in outdoor sports. Highlights from town itself include walking the historic downtown and visiting the Old Pioneer Cemetery, also known as “Boot Hill.” It is one of the finest and unique old west cemeteries I have seen.
Downtown Placerville
But my feet wanted to ramble, and my mind churned for something more abandoned, and so on that first day I drove the thirteen miles out to Placerville. Along the way I passed the ghost town site of Centerville, only I didn’t know it. I saw no indication that the place (now called New Centerville) existed at all as I negotiated the dusty road and switchbacks. Placerville was another story.
There were no people present as I drove into town, but there was a sign welcoming me. A handful of old buildings form what is town, some of them still in use. I parked and began walking around the place. One original building “The Magnolia Saloon” now serves as a makeshift museum. I went to the door, which was paddle locked. A sign indicated that the place was sometimes open on weekends. It was a Wednesday. Ironically enough there was another museum across the street. On the side was painted; “Owyhee Idaho Candy Co.” It still had the iron shutters of the 1800’s on its windows. When I got to the door I found a sign similar to the other one. These were two museums a hundred feet apart and both of them only open sometimes on weekends.
I went and found some old buildings that were barely standing and took photos. There was one building, a store, which was actually open, and I finally went in. It was there that I saw the only person I would see in Placerville. She was middle aged, somewhat pleasant, and the questioning began. According to her the current population was 41. The store was also the “City Hall,” which surprised me a little. I mean, what does the Placerville City Hall Council Members meet to discuss? Argue over who is going to grade the road this month? Speculate over a lost goat or to take money out of the treasury to purchase a lawn mower or a weed whacker? And what exactly does the mayor do?
I asked her about the cemetery and other things nearby. I think she tired of my interrogation because she quit talking and handed me a Placerville pamphlet. Despite the humble environment of the current era, Placerville was once a thriving gold town, complete with many hotels, saloons, sawmills, breweries, blacksmith shops and stables. And despite the fact that I was the only person on the street that day, there had been thousands of residents crowding the streets a hundred and fifty years before as the mines bustled with activity and the hydraulic mining cannons washed away nearby hills.
Placerville suffered a fate similar to Idaho City, only worse. The fires and scarcity of gold left her with only a few buildings and a handful of residents. But they got a mayor and a city council! There is also an incredible little cemetery. It is comparable to the one in Idaho City, only smaller and quaint. Here, along with Placerville’s finest, is the grave of the three fiddlers. Three traveling musicians were ambushed and murdered on the outskirts of town. They are buried in one large plot with four large pine trees which sprouted from each corner of the grave.
On the way back to Idaho City I made a more determined search for New Centerville. Afterall, it had been a big place like Placerville and Idaho City. I saw a wide spot with a tractor and through the trees I could see glimpses of newer homes. In the ghost town of Centerville not even the ghosts are left.
The color of a horse
I was up early in the morning and out of town at first light. My destination was over three hours to the north, but the beautiful drive was worth every mile. Highway 21 took me through the Sawtooth Mountains to Stanley. Here, surrounded by lush meadows and the Salmon River, I got onto Highway 75 and proceeded towards Challis. I would never see Challis as my turn off was a few miles before. I found Bayhorse Creek Road, proceeded across the river on an old trestle bridge and climbed four miles up the mountain on a somewhat rocky, but easily passable road.
Hotel at bayhorse
My objective was the ghost town remains of Bayhorse. I was surprised to turn off the bumpy road onto a paved parking area. My first impression of Bayhorse was that it is set up much like Bodie, being a state park with walking trails and signs. There are several intact buildings left, such as the hotel, the stone Masonic Hall, and several mill and mine buildings. Also, sprinkled about are the skeletal remains of several homes and heaps of wood and brick where others have collapsed.
I have never been one to stay on the beaten path, but Bayhorse is infested with rattlesnakes, and several areas are fenced off because of toxic chemicals. I played the obedient tourist and followed the rules. Please do the same if you ever venture to Bayhorse.
What’s in a name? A lone prospector in 1864, one of the first in the area, told others about gold deposits in the area. But no real attention was given to the area until eight years later when rich silver veins were found. When a settlement finally started, no one could remember that first prospector’s name, only that he had two bay horses with him. Yes, that’s right. That’s how the town got its name! Or at least that is the most popular rendition.
The new town grew during the 1870’s and by 1880 there were several mines, a stamp mill and smelter. Cabins dotted the surrounding hillsides as the downtown area swelled with saloons, boarding houses, banks, stores, hotels, a Wells Fargo office and several stables. The town chugged through the 1880’s as a major producer of silver, although lead and copper were also mined there.
Bayhorse suffered the same fate as many Idaho towns of the day. Fires and decreasing minerals. The following decade saw the closure of mines and a drop in population. By 1915 it was a ghost. After that several small revivals and leasing activities continued on and off until the middle of the 20th century. Abandoned and left to decay for many years the Idaho park service took ownership in 2009, and the remains were preserved. The state made the site safe enough to be set up as a historic attraction.
Still, this does not make it a crowded tourist site, at least not when I was there. I saw maybe four other people poking around. Located in a steep canyon there is some hilly walking to be had, even on the smooth walking trails maintained by the state. For more information check out https://visitidaho.org/things-to-do/ghost-towns-mining-history/bayhorse-ghost-town-trails-system/
It is notable to include that the variety of ethnicities at Bayhorse lend credence to the lure of the place worldwide. Included in the population was Chinese and people from an assortment of European nations, including England, France and Greece.
The Yankee Fork
Cabin remains at Bonanza
The Yankee Fork is a tributary of the beautiful Salmon River and well known for its rich gold deposits. From the tiny town of Sunbeam, I headed out following The Yankee Fork to seek out its history. Roughly eight miles out on a well graded road I came across my sought after Bonanza, a true ghost. The ghost town of Bonanza consists of a few surviving log cabins. Only one is seen from the road, but venturing into the trees brings a few surprises. I began walking around the site and taking pictures.
Bonanza was the first settlement on the Yankee Fork. First established in 1877, it contained well laid out streets and community wells. The population swelled to 600 by 1881. But during that decade the town of Custer, only two miles away, was established and soon became the economic and social center in The Yankee Fork region. This was the beginning of the end for Bonanza.
Two horrific fires in 1889 and 1897 further hastened the decline. After the second fire most of the residents and remaining businesses simply moved to nearby Custer. For over a hundred years the many structures have collapsed one by one as the once prosperous town fades back into the countryside. The survival of the log cabins pays tribute to the quality of the craftmanship.
I had heard that parts of the site were now private property. Now, as I walked structure to structure keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes, I felt I was being watched. From seemingly nowhere a side by side emerged and slowly puttered by with two men eyeing me curiously. I continued my quest as they came and went a couple of times. They never said anything, and I took my time investigating.
There is also a small cemetery here. Three unmarked graves next to one another tell of a love/murder tale involving four people. To summarize: Richard and Lizzie King came to Bonanza in 1878, setting up businesses in real estate as well as a saloon and dance hall. Lizzie was said to be extremely beautiful. They became good friends with the founder of the town, Charles Franklin. But before long it was rumored Lizzie was spending time alone with Charles. About this time her husband, Richard, was shot and killed by a disgruntled business partner.
Charles helped Lizzie to pick out a burial plot in the town’s new cemetery. Charles, in love with the widow, began to openly court her. But then there was the other guy! A man named Robert Hawthorne moved to town and found work as a dealer in Lizzie’s saloon. Lizzie and Robert fell in love and were married in 1880. Six days later the two were found dead in their home. Lizzie was buried between her two husbands.
Charles was not arrested although suspicions were high. He soon left the town he had founded and went to Stanley. A few years later he was found dead in his cabin, clutching a gold locket with a photo of Lizzie inside.
It is an interesting tale that brings an intimate side to the silent and disintegrating town site of Bonanza.
I headed up the road towards Custer. The most notable thing I noticed on this road was the damage to the environment. Heaps of stones and gouges in the earth were everywhere. It was apparent that something big and horrible had devastated the area. It was as if some huge monster had turned things upside down.
Then, in the midst of the destruction I saw the monster itself up ahead.
It stood motionless, like a rusted mechanical dinosaur. It hovered over its final place of obliteration with its long rigid tail and gaping mouth, surrounded by its menacing imprint on the landscape. It was a four-story dredge which had worked the Yankee Fork, churning and rearranging everything in its path for nearly fifteen years. It had come to this final resting place in 1952.
The Yankee Fork Dredge
Indeed, the Yankee Fork Dredge is a monstrosity. At 988 tons it spans 112 feet in length and is 54 feet wide. At its crown, above the fourth story, it reaches 64 feet in height. The 71 eight cubic foot buckets which scooped up the river bottom weigh one ton each. Although it is a marvel in technology for the time it was created in the late 1930’s, it also left a path of utter destruction wherever it went.
Obviously, this thing is no ghost town, but I’m adding this to the post because the men who operated it went to great lengths to find gold, just as the miners and millers had in the surrounded towns. It was just a more modern way of finding the same results. No matter what opinion one might have on its environmental impact, it is quite the site to see and inspect.
By the time I reached Custer the landscape had mellowed to trees and soft grasses. I was slightly disappointed as I entered the ghost town. I had expected something comparable to Bonanza. Instead, I found neat and tidy restored cabins and businesses. Signs adorned the main street. And old man in a white beard waved at me from the porch of a saloon turned museum. Just beyond that some four or five vehicles of other visitors littered the side of the road. Across the road was a restored schoolhouse which was yet another museum.
I walked into the first museum, where the old man sat, and asked him if he had any beer in his saloon. He hinted that he could scare me up some root beer or an ice cream bar. Then he offered me a guide sheet to the many signs and buildings up and down the road.
I pondered along, place to place, half reading and half inspecting the premises. Many were restored to the point that I could enter on new floorboards and look at the furnishings as they would have looked back in the day. Some had glass cases with smaller items used in a household or business. Some were restored to the point that they looked as if they had just been built and painted this year. Other places were merely a patch of grass with a few planks or debris, fronted by a sign stating what had stood there. The stamp mill was impressive, as were several old buildings which had been left in a state of arrested decay.
On a little hill behind the schoolhouse/museum was a small cemetery. Three wooden grave markers all next to each other told the tragic tale of three young girls killed in an avalanche in 1890.
In my own personal opinion, Custer can be deeply captivating for a fifth-grade field trip or a Japanese tourist. But for me, the reconstruction and Disneyland like layout takes a lot of the fun out of exploring. So, I did what people are not supposed to do. I ventured up the canyon far beyond the laid-out tourist pen. Up there I found some relics, like a partly collapsed mill on the side of the ravine, not touched in many years. The further I went the more original history I found. But I knew too well I was venturing into private property, so I finally got turned around and bounced back down back to the safety of the Custer haven.
But not for long. I soon took the dusty road back to Sunbeam and got back on the asphalt and headed south, back to Idaho City.
As mentioned earlier in the post, there are more ghost towns in this part of the state that reported here, and plenty of smaller mining camps. If you are into history and spectacular scenery, you will not want to miss out on Central Idaho. I reluctantly left the area but hatched a plan for the next trip to the area, in which I will come prepared to camp in those pristine forests along the Salmon River.
You do the same. The outdoor paradise of Central Idaho awaits. For another Outerrealmz post involving Idaho ghost towns, visit https://outerrealmz.com/night-in-silver-city/
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